This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more specifically, to a combined lifting eye and flywheel timing opening cover.
Most multiple cylinder engines in use today include blocks mounting one or more lifting eyes whereby the engine can be lifted from a support such as the frame of a vehicle to facilitate major servicing of the components. In many cases, peripheral equipment associated with the engine demands that the lifting eye or eyes be located asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the engine thereby causing the engine to tend to skew relative to its support when moved towards or away therefrom. Such skewing makes it difficult to remove an engine from cramped quarters in an engine compartment and/or align the engine with motor mounts and transmission components when introducing the engine into an engine compartment or the like.
Moreover, many lifting eyes are secured directly to the engine block with the consequence that the eye or opening in the lifting eye is relatively inaccessible in the application of a lifting hook thereto and the application of a lifting force may cause the hook to damage engine components such as valve covers or the like.
Typical engines include timing marks on their rotary components as, for example, fan belt drive sheaves or flywheel, and in the case of the latter, typically an opening is provided in the flywheel housing along with a stationary index mark. The opening is covered and the cover must be removed prior to timing the engine with a strobe or the like.
In many cases, the opening is relatively inaccessible due to the proximity of the flywheel housing to a firewall or the like with the consequence that it is difficult to remove and replace the cover for the opening.